In the old days in Beijing, people used brown sugar and sesame paste to make cakes called "Reunion Cakes" during Mid-Autumn Festival, wishing families a sweet, happy reunion. A reunion cake is not a moon cake, but a steamed cake, made of five or six cakes stacked together and steamed. The fermented dough is rolled out into a large round piece, topped with sweet brown sugar, thick sesame paste, rose brine or Osmanthus juice, dried fruits, and nuts such as walnuts and peanuts, strips of red and green candied tangerine peel, and then gently wrapped and pressed into a large thick cake. Finally, aniseed is dipped in bright red rouge and used to draw several petals on the outside, and then the first cake is finished. Five or six cakes are stacked together and steamed for half an hour. Steamed cakes are presented as an offering to the rabbit on the moon, to wish for a happy reunion and bring prosperity. Of course, the offering is just a ritual, and the reunion cake is meant for human consumption. When we eat reunion cakes, we have to abide by some rules. We can't eat the cakes separately. Instead, we should cut the stacked cakes into several pieces as a whole according to the number of family members, one for each person. A piece should even be put aside for anyone absent, which means that all the family will always be together and have a harmonious reunion.

(Source: Bj.wenming.cn)